The Efficacy of Written Information Intervention in Reduction of Hospital Re-admission Cost in Patients With Heart Failure; A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Objective: To assess the efficacy of written information versus non written information intervention in reducing hospital readmission cost, if prescribed or presented to the patients with HF. Methods: The study was a systematic review and meta-analysis. We searched Medline (Ovid) and Cochrane library during the past 20 years from 1993 to 2013. We also conducted a manual search through Google Scholar and a direct search in the group of related journals in Black Well and Science Direct trough their websites. Two reviewers appraised the identified studies, and meta-analysis was done to estimate the mean saving cost of patient readmission. All the included studies must have been done by randomization to be eligible for study. Result: We assessed the full-texts 3 out of 65 studies with 754 patients and average age of 74.33. The mean of estimated saving readmission cost in intervention group versus control group was US $2751 (95% CI: 2708 - 2794) and the mean of total saving cost in intervention group versus control group was US $2047 (base year 2010) with (95% CI: 2004 - 2089). No publication bias was found by testing the heterogeneity of studies. Conclusion: One of the effective factors in minimizing the healthcare cost and preventing from hospital re-admission is providing the patients with information prescription in a written format. It is suggested that hospital management, Medicare organizations, policy makers and individual physicians consider the prescription of appropriate medical information as the indispensable part of patient's care process.